“Excellent, the sooner we get moving the better,” she said rather absently and went to the window to peer out.
“There’s more … Vaush?” he said wondering why she seemed so preoccupied.
“I’m listening,” she said over her shoulder.
“I also learned that my father has mobilized half our naval fleet to hunt us but left half behind to defend Nethic should Thalonius send his forces to attack.”
“Is that a concern?” she asked still gazing out into the darkness.
“Yes, it is. Thalonius has already engaged Ti-Laros in battle in their search for you.” When she still didn’t turn he added. “Word has it that Larrs’ ship was destroyed, his whereabouts are unknown. I’m only grateful that you weren’t aboard the vessel at the time.”
She finally turned to him. Her expression was a mix of grief and anger. “They killed him? What of Skarus and Hellena?”
“I’m sorry, love. I don’t know any more than what I’ve told you. I gleaned what I could from the tavern talk, but I couldn’t press without drawing attention to myself.”
Her eyes were hollow as she processed the information. Her feelings would be ambivalent, she’d loved the man as her father all of her life, yet now despised him for lying to her and for the death of her mother. He wondered if this news would prove to be the thing that finally caused her to break. If so, he would be here to hold her together and see her through it.
She lifted her eyes to him. “You didn’t happen to see anyone on your way back did you?”
“No. I took great precautions to ensure that I wasn’t followed.”
“Of course, but what about as you were approaching the cruiser, you didn’t see anyone running off?”
“No,” he said, perplexed by her questioning. “Why? Did you see someone?”
She winced and grimaced at some unseen threat.
“Answer me,” he demanded.
“Comron, I was visited by the Murkudahl while you were gone,” she blurted out.
“What?” he asked incredulously.
“Two Murkudahl came to speak with me. They stood right here. Their names were Chaiyse and Bhedrus.”
His eyes narrowed. “You let some strangers in here?”
“No, of course not. I hid back here with the rifle.” She pointed. “When I refused to let them in, the locks popped, and they entered on their own.”
“From where?”
“There,” she said, pointing to the side door.
Comron examined the locks. “There is no sign of forced entry.”
“The Murkudahl’s technology is far more advanced than ours. It might as well be magic for all we can comprehend of it. They must have used some mechanism to unlock the doors.”
“Vaush, there was no one here when I returned, not even any tracks in the snow.”
“I know it sounds insane, but I was sitting in the front seat waiting for you when I saw them on the horizon. I tried to start the engine to escape, but it wouldn’t turn. They moved with great speed and, before I knew it, they were at the door. I took the rifle and hid between the seats over there.” She pointed at the back row.
“So when did you fix the engine?” he asked without hesitation.
“I didn’t. I—”
“How is it that it’s running perfectly now?”
Vaush was silent for a moment. “You didn’t start it?”
“No, it was running when I arrived.”
She endeavored to find another explanation. “Of course, Chaiyse and Bhedrus must have fixed it.” She snapped her fingers and smiled. “I bet they temporarily disabled the engines so I couldn’t escape before they had a chance to speak with me.”
“Don’t you think a more plausible explanation is that you were having a very vivid and intense dream? For all we know, it could have been induced by the herbal concoction Nacum’s wife gave us.”
She raised her voice, “Comron, stop it and listen to me. You saw them too on Patheis; the tall hooded figures, remember? They’ve been following us this whole time.”
Her words rang true as the most logical explanation for what he saw that morning. Part of him was relieved that Vaush wasn’t losing her mind or finally succumbing to the pressure of all the horrible revelations.
“Com, they gave me the Murkudahl essence,” she stated flatly. “The very thing for which they are being exploited.”
Comron’s heart leapt and his eyes went wide with fear. “Vaush, the essence is poison. Every single test subject has died horribly after being injected with it. Every last one of them!”
“That’s only because our biochemists have lacked the knowledge to make it compatible with our DNA. The essence was crafted by the hands of the Murkudahl, designed specifically for me.”
She moved closer to him. “Look at me, do I look ill? Every passing moment I’m feeling more alive and energized. I’m not dying, Comron.”
He looked at her healthy, vibrant glow. “But why would the Murkudahl visit you? They never leave their world.”
Vaush’s smile fell away. “They came to deliver a dark message.”
“Which was?” he prompted her when her thoughts seemed to drift off to a troubling place.
“Now is not the time to speak of it. But you need to know that we have a powerful ally,” she said.
“The Murkudahl?”
“No, it’s against their basic tenets to take up arms. But they told me that with the help of this ally and the essence, our chance of making it to Novoxos was practically assured.”
Comron was skeptical about this mysterious ally. What demands would they make in exchange for their assistance? Were they someone Vaush would want to be beholden to? “I understand why the Murkudahl wish to see you crowned empress since you’ve written extensively against their exploitation. But what of this alleged ally? What interest do they have in seeing you enthroned?”
The terrified look in Vaush’s eyes alarmed him.
“Vaush, what’s—”
“I can’t lose you,” she said fiercely. “You’re the most precious thing in my life.”
He was having difficulty following her train of thought. “You’re not going to lose me.”
Her mouth drew into a firm line. “I don’t want you to go back into Monteras. Something horrible will happen to you there. I know it.”
The resolve in her manner and her strident tone unsettled Comron. Did this have something to do with the new ally? “Vaush, everything is going to be fine. We have a ship waiting for us, and soon we’ll be on our way to Novoxos.”
“Darling, listen to me. You mustn’t enter Monteras. Go somewhere safe and hide yourself there until I’m established on Novoxos and then come join me there as my royal consort.”
Anger flashed in his green eyes. “Do you really think for one second I’d let you go to Monteras alone to meet some dubious ally?”
“Comron, if you go back there, you will die!”
“Better I die protecting my wife than running away like some gutless coward.”
“I don’t want—”
“Enough!” he said sharply. “You’re not going there alone and that’s final.”
She bristled at the challenge in his voice.
For a tense moment, there was nothing but silence between them. He was at a complete loss as to what was driving her erratic behavior, but two things were clear—he’d never let her go without him, and this standoff was getting them nowhere.
Comron sighed and his expression softened. He reached out and traced the line of her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Beloved, don’t you know that being parted from you is death to me?” He drew closer to her. “Wherever you go, I have no choice but to follow.”
CHAPTER 56
Despite Comron’s precautions, the meeting to hand over the vessel turned out to be an ambush. Comron spotted the set up immediately, the military stance, the looming shadows. He grabbed Vaush and dashed out of the warehouse and ran for an adjacent building. The moment they turned t
he corner they ran into a small squad of Recaban’s men. Comron opened fire and pulled Vaush aside.
“Take cover!” he ordered.
Vaush ran and ducked behind some large crates. From there, she watched Comron fire at two of the assailants, hitting them both. Another attacker sprang from nowhere, knocking Comron’s weapon from his hands. Instinctively, Vaush leveled her blast rifle and fired when she saw one of the men train his weapon at Comron. Taking advantage of the distraction, Comron landed a swift kick to the closest attacker’s chest, cracking his ribs. He snatched up a nail-ridden two-by-four and bashed the next attacker in the face, burying the rusty nails in his temple.
But, like cockroaches crawling out of the dark, the attackers kept coming.
Determined to help, Vaush emerged from behind the crate, only to be grabbed from behind by one of the henchman. She screamed, drawing Comron’s attention as he rammed his fist into the gut of a large assailant. The man doubled over and Comron raised his fists and slammed them down squarely on the opponent’s back, cracking his spine. Throwing his elbow back, he connected with the attacker coming upon him from behind. He moved through the rest of them with equal ferocity sending them sprawling back with a series of rapid-fire punches and bone snapping kicks.
Over to the side, Vaush drove her boot heel down on her attacker’s foot. He released her with a howl. She spun around and swung her rifle at his head, knocking him back into the crates. Knowing he meant to kill her, she flipped the rifle around and fired on him.
Distracted for a moment by Vaush’s actions, Comron was knocked to the ground by the final assailant. He recovered quickly, driving his fist hard into the man’s face, sending a gush of blood from his nose. Comron threw the thug off him, retrieved his rifle, and fired.
He ran to Vaush’s side and looked at the dead man on the crates. “Impressive,” he said and led her to the door and into the hallway. “There are bound to be more of Recaban’s men lurking about.”
“What are we going to do for transportation now?” she asked, standing close behind him.
Comron shook his head. “First we’ve got to get out of this building. Then we’ll just have to take whatever we can get our hands on.”
She nodded and squeezed his arm.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Vaush followed Comron through the corridors to a stairwell and rapidly descended the stairs in search of the exit. Just when Vaush felt certain they’d make it, the doors clanged open on the floor below. The shouting began and several rounds whizzed past them. Comron quickly opened the door on their floor and pushed Vaush through. They dashed out into the darkness and discovered they were in the midst of a construction zone.
In the dim light, Vaush could see a series of catwalks and scaffolding stretching out before them. Down below was a cavernous pit.
“It’s too dangerous,” Comron said. Behind, the sound of their pursuers grew louder. “Damn it, we’ll have to cross it.”
Vaush peered out over the drop and tried to quell the uneasiness in her stomach. “Did I ever tell you I’m afraid of heights?”
He looked back at the door, as the sounds grew louder. “We don’t have any other choice. You go first, and I’ll hold them off.”
The horrific vision of Comron’s death flashed before her eyes once more, chilling her to the core. “Why don’t we go together?” she asked fearfully.
“I’ll lay down some cover for you. Once you’re across, you’ll have to do the same for me.” He gave her a quick kiss for confidence. “Now go!”
Vaush dashed out over the catwalk, running for all she was worth. The air rushed past her face at her increased speed. Within seconds, she had reached the other side and Comron could join her. A barrage of gunfire opened up behind her.
When she turned, Comron was already halfway across the scaffolding, shooting at the assailants as he sped along. With all senses heightened, Vaush opened fire. One by one, she picked off the shooters with incredible accuracy, though she’d never stepped foot on a firing range. Only two remained and Comron would reach her in seconds. She hit the one, but just as she squeezed off the final shot at the remaining one, he got off one of his own. The shot went wide of Comron, but hit the main cable bracket. It exploded from the wall, and the cable supporting the catwalk unraveled, sending the catwalk crashing down into the cavern.
“Comron!” Vaush screamed. She watched him reach for a loose cable and then he was gone. Without regard for herself, Vaush dashed out onto the remaining catwalk, hanging perilously from weakened brackets. Through the dust and darkness, she peered down into the yawning cavern and saw Comron hanging on precariously to the cable. She laid down flat on her stomach and stretched out, reaching for him.
“Are you all right?” she called as she inched out over the jagged edge.
He coughed hoarsely as the dust swirled around him.
The structure creaked beneath her and she could feel the sharp edges of steel pricking her skin. The air cleared enough so that she could see Comron covered in dust. His arm seeped blood where a broken rebar had sliced into it.
“Can you climb up?” she yelled down.
He peered up at her, dazed. “Yes.” But the moment he attempted to move, the structure began to give way then jolted to a stop.
“Get off the catwalk,” Comron called to her. “This whole thing could come down!” Reluctantly, she inched her way backward. “All right, I’m clear.”
She heard him groan as he put pressure on his injured arm and carefully ascended the rickety scaffolding. Vaush held her breath as each move seemed to strain the weakened structure further. She scanned the room, grateful that no more attackers had arrived yet. All the while, the frame creaked and swayed under Comron’s efforts.
Vaush’s eyes followed the cable that held the structure in place. It ended in a brace mounted to the wall. It was the only visible means of support left. With each of his movements, the brace pulled farther from the wall.
“Comron, you’ve got to hurry!” she called out, knowing the brace would give way at any second.
No sooner had she uttered those words, when the brace flew off the wall. She watched in horror as the cord snaked by her. Knowing it was the only thing supporting Comron, she leapt upon the cord, grabbing hold of it. Her hands burned under the friction but she held on as it dragged her toward the doorway to the edge of the catwalk. Still holding on, she sprung up as she approached the edge and planted her feet on either side of the doorway to impede the progress. She strained desperately to hold on.
“Comron!”
She heard him groan as he hit the wall below.
“Come on!” she ordered. The realization set in—she was supporting his weight along with the remaining scaffolding. Elation soared through her. It was no dream or hallucination—the Murkudahl essence was real!
Still, she trembled under the strain. Perspiration broke out on her brow, and her palms grew moist, threatening her grip on the cable. She twisted the cable around one of her arms and continued pulling with the other.
Comron’s hand finally appeared over the edge of the catwalk and, with one arm, he pulled himself up onto the surface and crawled his way toward Vaush. She released the cord and it slid rapidly, lashing back and forth until it disappeared over the edge. The whole structure crashed noisily to the floor below. Exhausted from the effort, Vaush leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.
Comron stared at her in open astonishment. “You were holding the cord the whole time?”
She nodded and wiped the perspiration from her brow with her sleeve.
Comron clutched his injured arm and looked over the edge then back at her. “Between me and the scaffolding that had to be over 250 kilos!”
Again, she nodded, hoping these feats would remove any lingering doubt that he had about the Murkudahl visit.
“Damn it, Vaush! What the hell is going on?”
“As I told you before, the Murkudahl gave me the essence to help me make it to Novoxos.” She
removed the cloth band that held her hair back and used it as a bandage for his arm.
He shook his head. “They’ve really been following us since Patheis?” His face was tired and cynical. “Where are they now?”
“They said they were going to contact our ally here in Monteras.” She looked around. “Hopefully, they’ll find us soon.”
“Hopefully?” he asked incredulously. “We have no idea who this ally is or what they want of you, Vaush. I don’t like the idea of flying into this blind.”
“I don’t either, but they want me enthroned so that makes them the best friends we have.” Having finished patching his arm, she brushed the dusty hair from his eyes. “Can you move?”
“Yeah,” he said, bracing himself against the wall as he rose. “It does make you wonder who has the steel balls to stand against Thalonius.”
“You mean besides you?”
“Love-struck husbands aside, who else would have the means and the motive to move against the Supreme Prince?”
She shook her head. “Whoever it is, they’d better find us soon.”
“We’re not waiting around here to be rescued. We stick to the plan to find a ship.”
“Buying one now is going to be a pretty tall order with all of Recaban’s thugs everywhere.”
“Who said anything about buying it?” He cocked his rifle with a sharp click. “One way or the other we’re getting a ship.”
CHAPTER 57
“A few blocks down, there’s a transport storage bay,” Comron said as they hurried along a dark alley. “Hopefully we’ll find a space-worthy vessel there.”
Vaush kept pace with him, their boots splashing through icy brown slush. They stopped at the edge of the alley and peered out into the street. A few glow lights lit the dark, empty street as the snow drifted down lazily.
“It’s down that way over to the left. No one should be there at this hour.” He glanced down at her. “You ready?”
She shrugged. “I keep getting a foreboding sense about this place. The sooner we get out of here the better.”
“The Murkudahl said you’d make it to Novoxos safely, right?”